For this
reason…what reason? The verses before this give us a clue, in 1 Timothy 1:12-15.
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened
me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service, even though I
was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was
shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; and the grace of our Lord
was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ
Jesus. It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
God is
merciful. He has given me strength…and had patience with me as it has taken me
years to come around to getting my attitude in order—in fact He is still
working with me—I’m not perfect yet! His patience is perfect and He is
merciful. You can count on Him to help you in whatever area of your life you
wish to grow and change. As long as you are seeking God’s will—you can trust
Him that you will receive whatever it is for which you ask. He has promised
that.
Training Tip – Patience is a virtue that is best modeled. Be
patient with your children and they will learn patience. If you want to teach
them this characteristic, then you can set up some challenges for them that
they must learn to wait for the results—and then reward them. For
pre-schoolers, the waiting time needs to be short. For older children learning
to wait for the outcome and reward will be part of the process. Look closely at
their lives and see where they need to develop more patience. Maybe it is with
their siblings or just with the time and energy they put into doing their
homework. Set some goals with your children, individually, and establish some
reward—it could be time with you, money, a special toy or visit to a special
place, like an aquarium, zoo, or amusement park. Of course the reward should be
in line with the effort that the child has expended on the project or goal. Be
realistic in your own goal setting. Who
would take their child to Disneyland for finishing their homework on time one
night?
Lord God, open my eyes to Your will for my life so
that I may have patience with people and situations around me…so that I will
not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience
inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12)
And help me to be a good example of
patience for my children and grandchildren.
All
scripture quoted from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) unless otherwise
noted.
© 2013 by Mickey
M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
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